Institutions of Governance, Cabinet
Decision-Making Systems and Deputy
Ministers
PAP 2320 A- Public Management
Stéphanie Viola-Plante- Winter 2016
The Prime Minister
1. The prime minister is the leader of the governing
party.
•
Important: He is not elected as Prime Minister.
He
was elected as a deputy and because he won the
leadership of his party, if the party wins the majority
of the seats in the House of Commons, he, by
constitutional
convention,
becomes
the
Prime
Minister automatically.
•
He is appointed by the Governor General.
The Prime Minister
2. It is the exclusive power of the prime
minister to select a cabinet.
•
By constitutional convention- not written in
the law.
•
CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS,- for the first time, the notion of
executive- not more than five years.
•
cabinet shuffle: any time, if dissatisfaction.
•
Cabinet size
The Prime Minister
•
Cabinet Formation:
•
Members of the House of Commons
•
Ideologies
•
Representation
•
Merit: ministerial experience,
knowledge in the field of the
department, support at the
leadership race, those who stood
against him in the leadership
race.
The Prime Minister
3. The prime minister is also the chief architect of the
very structure of the government and of what will be
the decision-making system of the cabinet.
•
How many government departments there will be
•
The scope of the nature of these portfolios
•
Whether new departments should be created or old
one disbanded or amalgamated into other existing
departments. By Decree of the Cabinet.
The Prime Minister
4. The prime minister is vested with wide authority to
make appointments within the government and to other
state institutions.
•
Governor General/Lieutenant-governors
in the
provinces;
•
The members of the Senate;
•
The judges of the Supreme Court of Canada and superior
courts of the provinces;
•
Canadian ambassadors
•
Senior civil servants
The Prime Minister
5. A prime minister’s power is related to his
special role in Parliament
•
Central player in the House of Commons.
•
Prime minister will be the target of most
opposition attacks- chief advocate and defender
of government policy.
The Prime Minister
6. The prime minister is the chief communicator for the
government, both at home and abroad.
•
The prime minister is the primary diplomat of the country;
•
The decision-maker wit regard to Canadian foreign policy;
•
Represents Canada at major bilateral meetings…group of
eight
•
The media
•
The general public: leading figure of power
Cabinet Ministers
•
Consisting of the Prime Minister, Ministers and Parliamentary
Secretaries
Meeting /Every Wednesday
Meeting /Every Wednesday
Cabinet discussions: policy and program
Cabinet discussions: policy and program
options, the desired course of government
options, the desired course of government
action; the weaknesses, problems, and dangers
action; the weaknesses, problems, and dangers
confronting the government and the best ways
confronting the government and the best ways
and means of overcoming these difficulties
and means of overcoming these difficulties
